Research Director

Takashi Akagi

Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University
Assistant Professor

Outline

Here, we attempt to identify the mechanisms of “flexibilization of sexuality” in Diospyros species. In this plant species, evolution from dioecious wild diploids to polyploidized domesticated persimmon confered the ability to show diversified sex expression which are depended on environmental factors. Our final goal is definition of the generality and the specificity in sex flexibilization in Diospyros, by integrating infoamtion also from other diversified plant species. This insight would enable artificial approaches to modify the sex variations which has not appeared in the current crops, but beneficial for human use.